The moment Neo stepped out of his room, the noise in the base died instantly.
Everyone—Rebecca, Lucy, David, Maine, Dorio, Pilar—froze mid-motion like a glitch in the city's endless data stream. Even the hum of machinery seemed to hold its breath.
Neo blinked. "What? Why are you all staring at me like I'm some kind of pop idol? Get back to work."
"Uh, yeah, but—look, Neo!"
David was the first to break the silence. He grabbed a pistol from the table and approached in long, eager strides. Without hesitation, he disassembled the weapon in seconds, the pieces spinning between his fingers before snapping back together like clockwork.
A proud grin tugged at his lips.
Neo instantly got the message. The kid wanted praise.
And in Night City, sometimes a little validation meant more than a pile of eddies.
"Not bad," Neo said, giving him a rare thumbs-up. "You've come a long way, David. Even without that Sandevistan, you're almost ready to stand on your own."
David's grin spread wide enough to light up half the base. "Heh, thanks, Neo!"
Before Neo could say another word—
A flash of pink hair and chaos.
Rebecca darted across the room, leapt like a missile, and crashed straight into his chest. He caught her without flinching, her laughter muffled against his jacket.
At this point, she wasn't even pretending to be subtle anymore. The whole squad had seen this play out enough times to stop pretending otherwise.
Neo sighed, smiling faintly as he ruffled her hair. Rebecca purred, then stepped back with a smug grin.
Lucy's voice came from across the room, calm but focused. "Neo. About Dexter DeShawn's assets."
She turned from her console, a small box in her hand.
"I've finished decrypting his bio-modules. All of his biometric data has been simulated and integrated into this."
She handed the box over. "You'll need to visit each property in person. When the security systems scan for biometric ID, this will spoof DeShawn's readings perfectly. Once it verifies, you'll have full access—doors, vaults, everything."
Neo flipped the lid open. Inside lay a sleek pair of BD goggles—the same model they'd used during that moon projection run back in Lucy's apartment.
Except now… they were different.
"You modded these," Neo noted, lifting them carefully.
Lucy nodded. "I did. Besides the biometric integration, I added a few custom modules—scanning overlays, memory storage, and HUD projections. Basically…" She hesitated, then smiled faintly. "They're your eyes now."
Neo raised an eyebrow.
Lucy continued, her tone softening. "You're the only one here who hasn't undergone any cyberware mods. No neural slots, no ocular implants. So, if you won't install chrome, I'll just build you something better."
That hit deeper than he expected.
Neo chuckled quietly, then closed the case with deliberate care and slipped it into his jacket. Without a word, he stepped forward and pulled Lucy into his arms.
The room filled with quiet laughter and a collective "aww."
David's grin was the widest. "Goddamn, Neo x Lucy x Rebecca—this is peak content."
Even Maine chuckled. Dorio elbowed him and muttered something about him being a gossip.
Neo shot David a look. "Alright, stop fangirling and grab your jacket. You're coming with me."
David saluted playfully. "Yes, sir!"
...
Jackie was still in Heywood, apparently dragged around by his mother who'd been proudly parading him through the neighborhood, telling everyone, "My son's home!"
Neo had just laughed when he'd heard. Let him enjoy it, he'd said. We're solid here.
The base ran like clockwork now.
...
An hour later, Neo and David were stepping out of a Delamain cab in front of one of Dexter DeShawn's high-end properties in Watson.
The building towered like a shard of obsidian glass, its lobby lined with gold-tinted chrome and soft holographic mist. They rode the lift to the top floor, where the penthouse suite waited.
Neo took out the BD goggles, slid them on, and stepped into the recognition field.
[Biometric Scan: Authorized]
[Welcome home, Mr. DeShawn.]
The doors hissed open.
David let out a low whistle as they entered. The place looked less like an apartment and more like a CEO's private museum—golden lights, polished marble, a panoramic view of the Night City skyline.
"Holy… Neo, this place is insane!" David's voice echoed off the walls. "Look at this furniture—look at that view—look at that fridge! It's smarter than I am!"
Neo chuckled under his breath, scanning the room. "Not bad. But for a fixer like DeShawn, this is probably one of the cheaper ones."
David spun around, eyes wide. "Cheaper?!"
Neo ignored the protest and moved toward the apartment's main console. The moment his gaze aligned with the scanner, the system synced instantly.
[Dexter DeShawn biometric confirmed. Access granted.]
"Show me the garage inventory."
The AI's voice purred through the speakers—smooth, elegant, almost seductive.
"Good afternoon, Mr. DeShawn. Your current vehicle registered under this residence: Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X."
Neo raised an eyebrow. "Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X?"
He looked at David. "That bike? It's practically a missile on wheels."
David's jaw dropped. "No way! That's the Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X? That's the fastest model ever built! The kind they only sell to corpos and street racers with a death wish!"
Neo smirked. "Yeah. The kind of ride that hits four hundred fifty clicks an hour. And the kind that'll paste you across an intersection if you can't handle it."
David's eyes were practically glowing. "It's… beautiful."
Neo could read him like a book. The hesitation, the longing, the quiet guilt of wanting something that expensive.
"Take it," Neo said simply.
David blinked. "Huh?"
"Take it," Neo repeated, his voice flat but warm. "You like it, you drive it. It's yours."
David's mouth opened and closed a few times before words caught up. "I—seriously? Neo, I… holy shit—thank you!"
Neo waved a hand dismissively. "It's a toy worth twenty-two thousand eddies. Don't make it weird."
David laughed, his joy raw and boyish. "Man, this day just keeps getting better!"
Neo glanced toward the window. "Enjoy it while it lasts."
David looked back, eyes shining. "You're not getting a bike too?"
"I was going to grab an ARCH Nazare yesterday," Neo said, nodding toward a magazine on the glass table. "But now…"
David followed his gaze. The magazine cover gleamed with a bold headline:
"Rayfield Motors: The Next Evolution—Introducing the Aerondight Guinevere"
David's jaw dropped again. "Wait, Rayfield? That's like… Nazare-tier but ten times the price!"
Neo smirked faintly. "Guess I've got expensive taste."
Before David could respond, Neo's holo-comm pinged.
[Incoming Call: Judy Alvarez]
Neo glanced at the ID, his brows lifting slightly.
"Judy?" he murmured, answering the call with a swipe.